In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Legend L100 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the L800 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L100 and Polk L800 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk L100 | Polk L800 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Ring Radiator | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Polypropylene | 2 x 10" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 57-38k Hz | 32-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85.5 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-160 watts | 25-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.68kg / 16.9lbs | 68.50kg / 150.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13-11/16" x 7-7/8" x 11-5/16"
348.0 x 201.0 x 288.0mm | 48-5/8" x 18" x 17-7/16"
1236.0 x 458.0 x 443.0mm |
|---|
L100 and L800 are members of Polk Audio's Legend L series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk L100 and Polk L800 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Polk L100 |
Polk L800 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that L100 is a 2-way design whereas the L800 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Polk L100Polk L800
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk L100 |
Polk L800 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 10-inch
|
L100 features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz. On the other hand, the L800 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 10" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 370Hz and 2800Hz.
Frequency Response
L100 has a frequency range of 57-38k Hz whereas L800 has a frequency range of 32-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the L800 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the L100's min frequency of 57Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
L100 and L800 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. L100 sensitivity is rated at 85.5 dB and the L800's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk L800 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk L100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the L100 and the L100 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
L800 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas L100 has a max power handling value of 160 watts RMS, 140 watts less than the L800.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
L800 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. L100 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk L100's Post terminals
Polk L800's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
L100 has a rear firing port whereas L800 has a down firing ports.
Polk L100 Enhanced Power Port Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Polk L100's and Polk L800's external dimensions. Polk L100 has external dimensions of 348.0 x 201.0 x 288.0mm (13-11/16 x 7-7/8 x 11-5/16inch) whereas Polk L800 has external dimensions of 1236.0 x 458.0 x 443.0mm (48-5/8 x 18 x 17-7/16inch).
Polk L800 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 257mm wider, 888mm taller and 155mm deeper than Polk L100.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk L100 and Polk L800 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk L100 and Polk L800 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Polk L100 is approximately 578.9cm2 / 89.7inch2 and base area of the Polk L800 is approximately 2028.9cm2 / 314.5inch2. The L100 requires 71% less surface area than the L800 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk L100?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L100:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- Cleaning cloth
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration
What's in the Box of Polk L800?
Here are the items that come with the L800:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Large Grilles
- 2 Small grilles
- Two 15-feet SDA interconnect cables
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spike feet
- 2 Jumper-wires (pre-installed)
- 2 Cleaning cloths
- 2 Hex-keys
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration